 clickable | | Mary, Help Us Trust in God's Mercy Nothing is impossible for God's mercy! Even the most tangled knots are loosened by his grace. And Mary, whose "yes" opened the door for God to undo the knot of the ancient disobedience, is the Mother who patiently and lovingly brings us to God, so that he can untangle the knots of our soul by his fatherly mercy. We all have some of these knots and we can ask in our heart of hearts: What are the knots in my life? "Father, my knots cannot be undone!" It is a mistake to say anything of the sort! All the knots of our heart, every knot of our conscience, can be undone. Do I ask Mary to help me trust in God's mercy, to undo those knots, to change? She, as a woman of faith, will surely tell you: "Get up, go to the Lord: he understands you." And she leads us by the hand as a Mother, our Mother, to the embrace of our Father, the Father of mercies —from Mother Mary: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The blessed lady, Mother of our Savior, may well be called a morning, since before her there was none without sin. After her, the most clear sun Christ Jesus showed his light to the world."
— St. John Fisher † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"I call upon you, my God, my mercy, who made me, and did not forget me, although I forgot you. I call you into my soul, which you prepare to accept you by the longing that you breathe into it. Do not desert me now when I call upon you, for before I called upon you, you went ahead and helped me, and repeatedly you urged me on by many different words, so that from afar I would hear you, and be converted, and call upon you as you called to me."
— St. Augustine, p. 302
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Confessions of St. Augustine †VERSE OF THE DAY
"In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other."
Ecclesiastes 7:14a |  click to read more | | Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat (December 12, 1779 – May 25, 1865) The legacy of Madeleine Sophie Barat can be found in the more than 100 schools operated by her Society of the Sacred Heart, institutions known for the quality of the education made available to the young. Sophie herself received an extensive education, thanks to her brother Louis, 11 years older and her godfather at baptism. Himself a seminarian, Louis decided that his younger sister would likewise learn Latin, Greek, history, physics and mathematics—always without interruption and with a minimum of companionship. By age 15, she had received a thorough exposure to the Bible, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church and theology. Despite the oppressive regime Louis imposed, young Sophie thrived and developed a genuine love of learning. Meanwhile, this was the time of the French Revolution and of the suppression of Christian schools. The education of the young, particularly young girls, was in a troubled state. Sophie, who had discerned a call to the religious life, was persuaded to become a teacher. She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, which focused on schools for the poor as well as boarding schools for young women of means. Today, co-ed Sacred Heart schools also can be found, along with schools exclusively for boys. In 1826, her Society of the Sacred Heart received formal papal approval. By then she had served as superior at a number of convents. In 1865, she was stricken with paralysis; she died that year on the feast of the Ascension. Madeleine Sophie Barat was canonized in 1925.
Reflection Madeleine Sophie Barat lived in turbulent times. She was only 10 when the Reign of Terror began. In the wake of the French Revolution, rich and poor both suffered before some semblance of normality returned to France. Born to some degree of privilege, Sophie received a good education. It grieved her that the same opportunity was being denied to other young girls, and she devoted herself to educating them, whether poor or well-to-do. We who live in an affluent country can follow her example by helping to ensure to others the blessings we have enjoyed. | Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 17:15, 22—18:1 After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible. Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
"You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.'
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'
as even some of your poets have said,
'For we too are his offspring.'
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world
with justice' through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead." When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
"We should like to hear you on this some other time."
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. Responsorial Psalm Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14 R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 16:12-15 Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
| Meditation: Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 6th Week of Easter They came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him. (Acts 17:15) It's easy to see St. Paul as a "lone ranger" hiking alone down Roman roads, single-handedly establishing new churches. Today's first reading might even cement that image in our minds, as Paul goes into Athens on his own to preach—except for the fact that he's eagerly awaiting Silas and Timothy's arrival. In reality, the picture of a lone, independent St. Paul is far from the truth. From his conversion onward, Paul tried to surround himself with believers who supported him. Some of their names are familiar to us: Barnabas, Titus, Luke, Priscilla and Aquila. Others are not so well known: Sopater, Gaius, and Sosthenes. At one time or another, these brave men and women (and more) accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys. They proclaimed God's word alongside him (Acts 13:5). They comforted him when he was crestfallen (2 Corinthians 7:6). And they energized him with their witness (Philippians 2:20). What's more, most of Paul's letters were works of collaboration, written with coworkers in ministry. Far from being a lone ranger, Paul was a team player who saw the value in community. Consider one of the metaphors that Paul used to describe the Church: a body composed of many members, each of which was vital to the body's functioning (1 Corinthians 12:12). If Paul needed a community of believers shoring him up, so do we! Are you a part of a group of other Christians who help support you in your faith? Maybe you're involved in a parish renewal organization. Or perhaps you serve beside other Catholics in your community. If so, that's great. Is there any way you can strengthen these relationships? Perhaps you could set up a monthly lunch gathering or start a text message thread devoted to praying for each other's petitions. Or maybe you can just simply express how much they mean to you. If you don't belong to a group like this, how about looking to join one? You might start by looking at your church bulletin for a listing of existing groups. And you can always ask the Lord to open doors of friendship for you. Remember, you are not meant to be a lone ranger. You are a member of the body of Christ. "Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship." Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14
John 16:12-15 |  clickable | God always gives himself in a concrete sign, in an image. The whole of creation is an image of God; he speaks in it. The image that definitively reveals God is Christ.
—Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
from God Sent His Son | 2cents:
"The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands...", so where does He live? Wherever and in WHOMever He pleases. That's how it is with the creator. Can He come work through you and work in others around you? The thought is simply amazing. | We pray: "Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all you his hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory." So we have to develop a sense of worth, but not as the world tells us, not with self esteem, not with ego, not with pride. So what kind of worth? The kind that is a living space for God. Your very soul. Can you make your interior castle a magnificent place for Him to reside? Or at least visit? Would it be worth to build Him a castle he'd only visit for a few minutes? Of course! He is worth all that work and more...all your life, your blood, for He has declared it Himself one earth...as it is in Heaven. | Our Lord said today: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth." Why is Jesus speaking in the 3rd person point of view? Because, it is the third person of Himself! That Holy Spirit, that phenomenon we all experience, it is Himself at work, with prophesying, with telling the truth, with invigorating hope, with an ardent desire to do His will, that's all Him among us. Let me give you an example, afterall, that is why I've ever been moved to write my2cents! This past weekend, a choir member was told he couldn't sing whenever without telling anybody. He had mentioned one time he wanted to sing solo during communion but there was never really an agreement. Anyhow, he does it various times and the songs are not really well known or even Catholic songs. Well, when he was told he was upset. I didn't want to tell him because I already make him upset telling him about other truths about ministries like "you got a big head mister". He didn't take that too well. But it just seemed in all he did it was "my way or the highway". Now what? Awkward moments. Tippy toeing. Who's saying what about who's back? Now the devil is entering, the world of doubts. Why do I mention all this, bring all this darkness to light? Because it happens all the time, in family, in church, at work. You know this. Why do I bring it up then? Because the Holy Spirit is at work. Huh? Weirdo talking here, right? But step back, pray, and take a deep breath of faith. Have faith in others. What is the solution now? By all means, mine is this: "do not stop communication with them". As hard as it is, I still reach out to the man, an older man than myself, probably about 15 years older. I keep reaching out, I have to swallow the pill and the insults. I have to reach out and stretch out in the name of love. My thoughts are not normal thoughts. The Holy Spirit moves me to do things normal people will not. It's not about me anymore. | What's my next move? For a while I've been asking that we have fellowship in our choir ministry, a dinner, an outting, a gathering. This weekend, I know of a brother who went canoeing in Arkansas with his father and brothers. Fellowship, bonding. This coming weekend, I heard of another brother going with his whole band on a trip to another state, Missouri, for what? Fellowship, bonding. I told him "just like you got this group bonding going, you need to have one in Church". Just going to Mass isn't going to cut it anymore to be an effective member. You need to be in fellowship with one another, and the more, the better, and in more groups, the better, and if all groups can join in unison and harmony in Mass, well, that is Heaven. That's what I pray for...to become a beautiful body of Christ, truly shining light to the world... |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Isaiah 1:18 (Listen) 18 "Come now, let us reason [1] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool." Thank You Jesus | |
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